


Lovely Stranger

by Voidfish



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Memory Loss, Mostly hurt, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 09:22:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13737882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Voidfish/pseuds/Voidfish
Summary: Magnus knows death is a good thing, but he can’t remember why. There’s something waiting for him there, something beautiful.Peace, maybe? Rest?He doesn’t know. It’s like an itch he can’t scratch, a word on the tip of his tongue he simply can’t find. He tries to not let it bother him.





	Lovely Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> Kekekeke~ Uh I'd like to request Magnulia; what if the wonder twins took Magnus's memory of Julia away, and when he dies he just ends up at a random woman's house???
> 
> This was rushed but damn that's evil i love it.
> 
> Maybe they'll be a sequel about Magnus falling in love with Julia again maybe I'll learn to quit let's see.

“You have someone that you... loved once, right? And they were taken from you by someone who you now hate. I wonder which one would be worse to take from you: the person that you loved or the person that you… hate. I think,” Edward says, delighting in his own words, “we’ll go with the former. Magnus, if you accept this sacrifice - ”

“I refuse,” Magnus says immediately, voice rough.

“Woah, wait a minute there, kemosabe,” Taako says, hands outstretched in a placating manner. “I’m not sure how much more of this we can take.” A fine trail of black smoke pours out of Taako’s mouth.

“Taako, I can’t do it,” Magnus pleas, voice softer than they’ve ever heard it. “She was my wife -”

“Ah, wife, shmife,” Merle mutters.

Magnus continues. “She was my everything, Taako. I can’t - can you imagine, forgetting something like that?”

Taako takes a step back, his face perfectly stoney but his resolve broken. 

“Ok,” Taako says, “we’ll take the penalty.”

“Oh, yes, about that,” Lydia says. Magnus turns, axe drawn, to find the Vogue Elves flanking him. Lydia smiles at him, sickeningly sweet.

“I’m afraid,” Edward says, “this round you don’t have a choice.”

They each place a hand carefully on Magnus’s temple, and the fighter collapses.

Taako and Merle race to his side. For a moment Magnus is eerily still before he jolts awake.

“Magnus,” Taako says, filled with dread, “tell me more about your wife.”

Magnus blinks quickly, face blank, before turning to Taako. “Who?” He asks.

***

Magnus knows death is a good thing, but he can’t remember why. There’s something waiting for him there, something beautiful.

Peace, maybe? Rest?

He doesn’t know. It’s like an itch he can’t scratch, a word on the tip of his tongue he simply can’t find. He tries to not let it bother him. 

***

When Magnus finally dies he feels a relief he simply cannot understand. There’s something about death, about the afterlife, that he has been chasing for as long as he can remember.

Except he can’t remember. That’s the thing.

It hurts to think about, so Magnus doesn’t, instead enjoying the lightness of every movement, the lack of pain in his joints.

“Where are we going?” Magnus asks. 

Kravitz smiles gently, sadly, at his friend. “You’re going somewhere special, Magnus,” the reaper says. “You’re going home.”

The island that Kravitz displays is beautiful. Magnus takes a moment to admire the woodwork before he hears the sound of a dog barking.

“Is this an island full of puppies?” He asks, eyes wide. Kravitz shakes his head, laughing.

A dog barrels into Magnus - Johann, looking young and nimble again.

And following the dog is the most beautiful stranger Magnus has ever seen. She stops when she sees Magnus, grinning. 

“You’re here,” she says, eyes reverent as she surveys him.

“I am,” he agrees. He knows he should say something, ask her name, but something of this woman is like staring into the sun. It hurts his head, she blinds him, and yet he cannot look away.

“I’m Magnus Burnsides,” he finally says, reaching out to shake her hand.

“I’m Julia Burnsides,” she responds amused. 

“That’s a coincidence,” Magnus smiles politely. The woman - Julia, she said - frowns.

“Magnus,” she starts slowly. “Are you fucking with me?”

“What?” Magnus’s face is red, and for a second Julia revels in that before the fighter speaks again. “I’d never, I promise, I’d never be mean to a stranger.”

Julia pauses, body tense. Magnus knows he’s done something terribly wrong, but he has no idea what.

“Come inside,” she says softly. “I made your favorite tea. We’ll… we’ll figure this out.”

Magnus follows her, but pauses, grasping her hand.

“I’m supposed to know you, aren’t I?” He asks.

All Julia can do is nod.

“Shit,” Magnus whispers, “how could I forget a woman so beautiful?”

“I can also kick your ass, so don’t try anything,” Julia says, smiling softly.

“Damn,” Magnus says, “you’re my perfect woman.”

Julia inhales quickly at that, nodding. Magnus pauses.

“I’m sorry,” he says, “I don’t know what to say anymore.”

She smiles at him through the tears falling on her cheeks. “You’ll pick it up. You’ve always been a fast learner.”

As Julia leads him along Magnus asks one final question.

“Were we… were we in love?”

Julia squeezes his arm. “Yeah,” she says, “yeah, a little bit.”

Magnus looks her over, and smiles. “You seem easy to love.”

Julia laughs. “Lots of folks in Ravensroost would disagree, Burnsides.”

Magnus laughs, too, and follows the beautiful woman inside.


End file.
